Posted on October 17, 2021October 18, 2021 by Holly Cain

The Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway had dramatic ups and downs all Sunday afternoon with the victorious exception of Kyle Larson, who dominated the race – leading 256 of 334 laps and holding off the field on seven different restarts in the final 125 laps alone.

Larson’s win by 0.459 seconds over Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron was his series-best – and career-best – eighth of the season and 14th of his career. Most importantly, it punched his ticket into the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 7 – the first time in the 29-year-old Californian’s career that he will get to race for the NASCAR Cup Series championship trophy.

“This is unreal,” a smiling Larson said. “I knew we had a good shot to win today. Our car was amazing, probably the best 550 (horsepower) package, intermediate car we’ve had all year. This is so cool. And we get to race for a championship in a couple weeks. This is crazy.”

With a two-lap shootout to settle the checkered flag, the end of the race was dramatic up front. For much of the day, it was disastrous just behind. A 12-car incident on Lap 32 eliminated nine cars early on.

Playoff drivers Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. all suffered late-race problems that impacted the championship standings with only two races remaining now to decide which three drivers will join Larson in the championship race at Phoenix.

Logano’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford was sidelined after sustaining a rare engine problem, and both Hamlin and Truex were involved in crashes. Logano finished 30th – worst among the eight playoff drivers. Hamlin’s No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota soldiered on despite the heavy damage in two incidents, and he finished 11th. Truex’s No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was unable to finish the race after a hard hit in Turn 4 after a collision with Daniel Suarez. Truex finished 25th.

All these incidents were part of rapid-fire caution periods in the final third of the race; 11 on the day plus an 11-minute red flag. And on each ensuing restart – no matter which driver was directly behind him – Larson was able to pull away and hold the lead.

“I just got good pushes from behind me, really,” said Larson, who also added a series-best 16th stage win.”I tried to stay patient on the throttle to keep them to my back bumper and thankfully, I was able to just barely clear them every time going into (Turn) 1 and not have to fight off (Turn) 2.

“So thanks to William (Byron), Tyler (Reddick) and (Brad) Keselowski, anybody who was behind me, especially Brad on that last restart.”

Ironically, the only member of the Joe Gibbs Racing team not still playoff-eligible, Christopher Bell, finished best among his teammates Sunday, taking third place just ahead of Team Penske’s Keselowski and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick.

Penske driver Ryan Blaney, Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott, JGR’s Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick and Trackhouse Racing’s Suarez rounded out the top 10.

“It’s all about the push, and I think here at Texas the shortest lane kind of wins out because of the way the track separates going into Turn 1, the Axalta Chevy was fast all day just never got control (of the restarts),” Byron said. “I think (Larson) was definitely better than us the first stage and I was right there with him the rest of the time, but it was just clean air basically.

“Congrats to those guys, Kyle really deserves it. They’ve been awesome all year, flawless on pit road and on pit calls.”

Despite all the drama, the Cup Series playoff picture retains some of the same look, with some swings among the remaining eight. Larson’s win locks him into the Championship 4. Blaney is second followed by Hamlin and Kyle Busch (who won Stage 1 after an early pit-road speeding penalty) among the top four positions.

Defending series champion Elliott is fifth, eight points behind Busch. Keselowski is sixth (-15) followed by Truex (-22) and Logano (-43).

MORE: Cup Series Playoffs standings

“Just a bummer, what do you do, this is the first time we’ve blown a motor in a really long time,” Logano said from the garage after retiring early.

“We have to move on,” the 2018 series champion added. “It is what it is now. We can’t change it. Not many points today, so that is a bummer. We will be fighting from here.”

The NASCAR Cup Series moves to Kansas Speedway for next Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Logano won the playoff race there last year. Busch won at the track in May. And Hamlin and Logano lead all active drivers with three wins each at Kansas.

Notes: Elliott was among several drivers who dropped to the rear of the field for the start. His No. 9 Chevrolet failed pre-race inspection twice. … There were no major issues in post-race inspection, thus validating the win for Larson. The No. 1 of Kurt Busch, the No. 8 of Tyler Reddick and the No. 18 of Kyle Busch each had one lug nut not safe and secure, which will result in a fine for their respective crew chiefs when NASCAR announces penalties later this week.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on October 17, 2021October 17, 2021 by Staff Report

Which channels have NASCAR programming this week? We answer that and give the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.

Note: All times are ET.

MORE: How to find NBCSN | Get the NBC Sports App | How to find FS1 | Get FOX Sports App

Monday, Oct. 18
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Tuesday, Oct. 19
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Wednesday, Oct. 20
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Presents: This Racing Life, FS2 (re-air)
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive—Kansas, FS2 (re-air)

Thursday, Oct. 21
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

Friday, Oct. 22
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Saturday, October 23
3 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Kansas Lottery 300, NBC/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN4)

On MRN
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Kansas Lottery 300
7 p.m., ARCA Menards Series Reese’s 150

Sunday, October 24
12:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive—Kansas, FS1 (re-air)
1 p.m., NASCAR Raceday: Kansas, FS1
2 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
3 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN, TSN4)
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Show, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

On MRN
2 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400

Posted on October 17, 2021October 18, 2021 by Staff Report

A large multicar crash tangled up a host of drivers during the first stage of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway.

Playoff contender Kyle Busch received slight damage to the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the 32nd of 334 scheduled laps in the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 (NBC, PRN, SiriusXM), but other competitors sustained heavier contact. Bubba Wallace, Alex Bowman, Ryan Newman, Ross Chastain, Cody Ware, Joey Gase, Justin Haley, Aric Almirola, Michael McDowell, Cole Custer and JTG-Daugherty Racing teammates Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Ryan Preece were also snared by the Turn 2 melee.

Busch continued after his crew changed four tires and cleared some of the fender damage, then rallied on a fuel-conservation run to win Stage 1. However, Wallace, Bowman, Newman, Ware, Gase, Haley, Stenhouse and Preece all had their days end after the wreck.

Meagan Thompson | NASCAR Digital Media

“Just an embarrassment on my part,” said Wallace, who absorbed the blame after losing control of his 23XI Racing entry in the midst of a three-wide battle. He finished 32nd. “Just trying to get clean air, went to the middle and said, ‘ah, this isn’t good.’ I backed out and by the time I backed out, it was already around. So, sorry to everybody that came here to cheer on the 23 car. I let everybody down, let my team down. So I apologize to them, we’ll go finish it out at Kansas.”

Busch wound up eighth in Sunday’s race, moving from one point below the provisional elimination line entering the race to fourth place in the playoff standings, eight points up after the Round of 8 opener. A pit-road speeding penalty during the first round of stops put his No. 18 entry back in the pack, forcing him to tiptoe through the maelstrom in front of him.

Bowman, who was eliminated from playoff contention after last weekend’s Round of 12 elimination race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, continued his rough ride in the final 10-race stretch. He was forced to drop to the rear of the field for the start because of unapproved adjustments to his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, and severe damage left him sidelined after just 36 laps.

“Playoffs. From. Hell,” Bowman tweeted after his fourth finish outside the top 20 in the last seven races.

Posted on October 17, 2021October 18, 2021 by Staff Report

The No. 9 Chevrolet of Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott failed pre-race inspection two times Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway. He was the only playoff driver to have his car fail multiple times before the Autotrader EchoPark 500, the opening race in the Round of 8 for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

RELATED: Playoff standings | Starting lineup

As a result, Elliott, who was originally slated to start sixth, dropped to the rear of the field during pace laps before Sunday’s contest, which was set for a green flag of 2:08 p.m. ET on NBC, NBC Sports App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Elliott entered the race two points below the elimination race as the Cup drivers battled to earn spots in November’s Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway.

Other cars with two inspection failures included the No. 48 Chevy of Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman (originally starting 14th), who was eliminated from playoff contention last week; the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet of Corey LaJoie (originally starting 29th), the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford of Chase Briscoe (26th), the No. 77 Spire Chevy of Justin Haley (32nd), the No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet of Garrett Smithley (36th) and the No. 66 MBM Motorsports Ford of David Starr (38th).

There were no three-time failures during pre-race inspection.

Posted on October 16, 2021 by Zack Albert

The salvation that comes with postseason wins has been in short supply for NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs hopefuls this year. Saturday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway was the latest instance.

Drivers outside of the title-eligible picture have won three of the four playoff races so far this season. Camping World Truck Series regular John Hunter Nemechek joined Josh Berry and Brandon Brown on Saturday as this year’s playoff spoilers, thanks to his rally from a pit-road penalty and his first Xfinity Series win since 2018.

That’s left the championship hopefuls scrambling for the remnants, with just two races left before the four-driver field is set for the season-ending title showdown Nov. 6 at Phoenix Raceway. No drivers are locked in yet among the eight remaining contenders.

Daniel Hemric had the best day among those clawing for playoff position, leading 55 laps in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota. But he wound up second for the third time this year, just behind teammate Nemechek — the latest in an all-star cast to drive JGR’s No. 54, which won for the 10th time in 2021.

Hemric’s gains were measured, though. He still sits two points below the provisional elimination line — fifth among the eight remaining contenders after the Round of 8 opener.

“These guys are doing a hell of a job. Just got to keep working,” said Hemric, who will leave JGR for Kaulig Racing next season. “I don’t know, that’s all you can do. Keep showing up, keep grinding it out. Thankful to be a part of the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Thankful to know that I can leave it all on the line these next three races for Joe Gibbs Racing and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Regular-season champion AJ Allmendinger and 2020 series champ Austin Cindric — who have battled atop the pack for much of the season — remained there after Saturday’s Andy’s Frozen Custard 335. Allmendinger is 30 points clear of the elimination line after rallying to sixth at Texas, with Cindric up 26 after finishing fifth.

MORE: Xfinity Series playoff standings

Their season-long contest for Xfinity Series supremacy has flared at times with full-contact clashes this year — most notably on the last lap of the regular-season finale at Bristol Motor Speedway. Saturday at Texas had similar tones, with hard-nosed racing in the late going leading to an extended discussion between the two on pit road later.

“Just the race and how things went,” Cindric said when asked about his talking points with Allmendinger. “I think the two of us, in some ways, are in the same boat. We have a lot more to lose than to gain. When you are racing side by side, we both know that. It has been a good dynamic most of the season. We were just talking it out. We had some contact down the back straightaway and I wanted to make sure we were all cool and it was.

“I loosened him up. I was tight on his quarter panel and made contact and it was just one of those racing hard deals at the end of the race. He knows how it goes. It is all good.”

Below the lead pair, it’s a scrap for position, with just eight points separating third through sixth. JR Motorsports teammates Justin Allgaier (plus-4 over the elimination line) and Noah Gragson (plus-2) are on the top side among that cluster, then Hemric (minus-2) and Kaulig’s Justin Haley (minus-6) are grouped just below the line. JGR mates Harrison Burton (minus-21) and Brandon Jones (minus-32) both finished in the back half of the top 10 at Texas.

Burton and Jones reached the Round of 8 by snatching up the last two berths on the basis of points. Though their top-10 efforts Saturday closed some of the gap, they remained in the postseason cellar with ground still to gain.

“We had an awful day today,” Burton told PRN Radio post-race. “Through the first half, we were really bad. We held on for a little bit, but the tires went out. I’m bummed out.”

Posted on October 16, 2021October 16, 2021 by Holly Cain

John Hunter Nemechek overcame a late-race pit penalty to rally through the field and take his second career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory Saturday in the Andy’s Frozen Custard 335 at Texas Motor Speedway – the first of three playoff events that will determine the Championship 4 field for the season finale.

Nemechek, whose full-time job is contending for a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship, is the fourth driver to win an Xfinity Series race in the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota this year, joining Kyle Busch, Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell – the quartet combining for 10 wins in 2021 in assorted part-time starts.

Nemechek’s victory by 1.316 seconds over Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Daniel Hemric marked the third win in four series playoff races by a non-playoff driver this season. It was the second Xfinity Series win in the 24-year-old Nemechek’s career – the other coming at Kansas Speedway in 2018.

A penalty during a pit stop – a crewman coming over the wall too soon – took Nemechek from the lead to 18th position for a restart with 51 laps remaining. Far from crushing his hopes, it motivated Nemechek and his team.

During a pit stop on the 10th and final caution period with 28 laps remaining, Nemechek’s team called for a two-tire change while the rest of the contenders took four tires. The strategy put him on the front row for the restart, and he navigated his way forward and retook the lead for good with 20 laps remaining.

“(Spotter) Stevie Reeves and (crew chief) Chris Gayle kept me calm,” said Nemechek, who led a race-best 92 laps. “I’ve grown a lot as a driver and been put in positions like that in the truck series as well.

“Man, I can’t say enough about this whole team. The 54 has been fast every single week. My goal coming in was to win. I had to win to prove to myself I can do this.”

It marked the third runner-up finish for Hemric this season and the 10th of his Xfinity Series career as he races for his first career victory. He was the top playoff driver Saturday.

“They just made a really good call to take two (tires) there, obviously,” an understandably subdued Hemric said of Nemechek. “Congratulations to those guys. We just weren’t quite good enough.”

Those two Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas were pretty much the story of the day. NASCAR Xfinity Series championship leader AJ Allmendinger led the opening 13 laps and then his chief challenger, defending series champion, Austin Cindric, took the lead, earning his 10th stage victory.

MORE: Xfinity Playoffs standings

The JGR Toyotas pushed forward and started racking up the laps led. Nemechek won Stage 2 and primarily exchanged the lead with Hemric for the remainder of the race. The exception was a bold pit move – defending Texas winner Harrison Burton (also a JGR driver) opted not to pit on the last caution and led six laps before Nemechek overtook him and held the lead until the checkered flag.

JR Motorsports driver Noah Gragson finished third, rallying from damage early in the race, followed by his teammate, Justin Allgaier, and Cindric.

Allmendinger was sixth, followed by Justin Haley, Burton, Michael Annett and Brandon Jones. All eight of the playoff drivers were among the top 10 with Nemechek and Annett the exceptions.

Allmendinger and Gragson each faced early adversity, making contact with each other on Lap 33, then each enduring pit-road trouble during the Stage 2 break. Both teams made extra pit stops before the final stage began.

The sixth-place finish for Allmendinger was good enough to keep him atop the championship standings by four points over Cindric. Allgaier is third, 26 points back, and Gragson is fourth.

Despite his runner-up effort, Hemric is fifth, two points behind Gragson. Haley is sixth (-6), Burton (-21) and Jones (-32) round out the playoff standings.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series moves to the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway for the second race of this playoff round next Saturday, the Kansas Lottery 300 (3 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Current NASCAR Cup Series rookie Chase Briscoe won last year’s race. Jones is a two-time Kansas winner, taking back-to-back wins in fall 2019 and spring 2020.

Note: Inspection in the Xfinity Series garage at the Fort Worth track was completed without major issue. Two cars were found with one unsecured lug nut each in a post-race check — the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driven by Jones and the No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford driven by Riley Herbst.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on October 16, 2021October 16, 2021 by Sean Montgomery

Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway
(⏰ 2 p.m. ET | 📺 NBC, TSN | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Sunday’s Round of 8 opening race and 33rd points-paying NASCAR Cup Series event of the 2021 season.

Where: Fort Worth, Texas
Green flag: 2:08 p.m. ET
Grand Marshal: Tim Brown and Tony Dorsett, NFL Hall of Famers
Honorary Starter: Steve Rowley, president of COX Automotive
TV/Radio: NBC/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Forecast: Mostly sunny, with a high near 72 degrees and calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon, according to NOAA.gov
Race Distance: 334 laps, 501 miles
Stages: 105 | 210 | 334
Pit-road speed: 45 mph
Caution car speed: 55 mph
Texas 101: Get the full lowdown
Starting lineup: See the full lineup
Pit-stall assignments: See who is pitting where | Expert breaks down pit selections

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Five to watch

Here are five big story lines we’ll be following at Texas Motor Speedway.

1. This is it. The opening Round of 8 race sets the tone. A win could automatically lock a driver into the Championship 4 finale at Phoenix Raceway. It also guarantees a less stressful day at Martinsville Speedway and Kansas Speedway in the coming weeks. On the flip side, a disastrous day could put any driver in a must-win situation with just two Round of 8 races remaining. Cup Series playoff drivers enter Texas with a mix of experience and inexperience, historic success and struggle-filled performances. Which drivers will rise to the occasion? Don’t forget, a non-playoff driver could very well steal the much-needed win away from a championship hopeful. See the current playoff picture.

2. If you’re still thinking Kyle Busch is an underdog, the two-time Cup Series champion might have you right where he wants you. Busch enters Sunday’s showdown at Texas just one point under the elimination line and is poised to make a push. The Round of 8 tracks are historically favorable for the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing wheelman, and he has been the best on average at 1.5-milers heading into this weekend. Busch boasts a 3.86 average finish at 1.5-mile ovals, and the next closest is teammate Denny Hamlin at 7.43. Busch’s impressive show of consistency leaves him in the company of all-time greats, currently running the sixth-best average in Cup Series history. Though the wins haven’t been too frequent for Busch this season, his consistency should carry him to a solid performance Sunday. Another Texas win for KFB shouldn’t come as a surprise.

3. Kyle Larson avoided an elimination scare at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval last weekend. Now, he’s back atop the playoff standings with a decent cushion of 35 points over second place. The No. 5 wheelman won at Texas earlier this season in the All-Star Race but has three finishes outside of the top 35 in the last five points-paying race here. He has been more dominant than ever at Hendrick Motorsports this season, and the expectations of championship favorite hang over the No. 5 pit box. Larson has seven wins this season with the most crucial races still ahead of him. We almost expect him to win every time out this season. How will he handle the pressure as he enters the final stretch of his best-ever championship run?

4. Winless in the regular season, on fire in the postseason. Denny Hamlin has saved his best for last, so far. And he’s entering the Round of 8 with 11 career wins on this slate of tracks. But there’s a catch. Hamlin has finished 20th or worse in four of the last six races at Texas and has had penalties in five of the last six. Will he keep the playoff momentum or come to a screeching halt? Hamlin has wins in the opening race in the Round of 16 and the Round of 12 this season, allowing the comfort of less pressure in the next races. If he wins again at Texas, he surpasses seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and teammate Martin Truex Jr. for most consecutive wins in round-opening races. He’s also the only driver to finish in the top six in each playoff race this season. Texas has almost been a tale of two stories for Hamlin. The question is, which one will we see Sunday?

5. A lot of commotion has been surrounding the Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick incidents throughout the Round of 12. That was two drivers from two different teams vying for a bid into the Round of 8. Moving forward, could we see more teammate competition as the season winds down? It’s almost a guarantee. Joe Gibbs Racing (Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch) and Team Penske (Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski) each have three drivers remaining, and Hendrick Motorsports (Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott) has two. They’re all fighting for four spots. Expect the playoff pressure to be higher than ever.

Race-day staples

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.

• Power Rankings: Ryan Blaney poised to punch Championship 4 ticket? | Latest rankings
• Paint Scheme Preview: High voltage schemes | See them here
• Playoff Pulse: Round of 8 set after Charlotte Roval | Full breakdown
• Debate: How hard should non-playoff drivers race playoff drivers? | Backseat Drivers
• Bubble Watch: Joey Logano on the outside looking in — for now | See the bubble breakdown
• Fantasy Fastlane: Texas two-step with Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin | Top plays, sleepers
• Busch Pole Award: Kyle Larson leads the way at Texas | Read more

Get in on the action

Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy.

• What are the odds?: BetMGM betting odds for Texas | See them here
• NASCAR betting: Tempting Kyle Larson odds, value on Kyle Busch | Read more
• Back to the future: How are your futures bets looking for the Round of 8? | Updated analysis
• The Action Network: Best way to bet on Texas | Larson vs. Hamlin | Elliott vs. Harvick
• Talking playoffs: How Fantasy Live game works for the postseason | Read more
• No risk, big reward: Take a shot at winning cash prizes with the free-to-play Jackpot Races app | Hit the jackpot

Memories from Texas

Before the Cup Series races at Texas for the first points-paying time this season, take a look back at some important track history.

• Top 10: Lap leaders at Texas | See the list
• Lone Star victors: All-time wins at Texas | Who has the most?
• We remember: Most memorable moments at Texas | Relive them
• 2020 recap: Kyle Busch ends drought at Texas | Full story

Five fast facts

Hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.

• Denny Hamlin has six top-10 finishes to start the 2021 playoffs, tied for most since Jimmie Johnson in 2009 (seven).
• Hendrick Motorsports has led 1,153 laps at 1.5-mile tracks so far this season. Joe Gibbs Racing is second with 384.
• Three organizations remain in the Cup Series title hunt: Joe Gibbs Racing (three cars), Team Penske (three) and Hendrick Motorsports (two).
• Martin Truex Jr.‘s 673 laps led without a Texas win is most all time.
• Kyle Larson has earned 36% of all playoff points on 1.5-mile tracks this season.

Catch the pack

Read up on all the headlines from the week leading up to the race.

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

• New numbers: Updated Cup Series championship odds | See them here
• Playoff pressure: Denny Hamlin focused heading into Texas | Read more
• Round of 8 breakdown: Track-by-track analysis | Read more
• Capable and ready: Martin Truex Jr. locked in for playoff push | Read more
• Back for more: Liberty University extends sponsorship deal with Hendrick Motorsports | Full details
• I AM ATHLETE: NASCAR Edition debuts on YouTube | Watch Episode 1
• Ring, ring: NASCAR calls Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick teams after on-track tension | See what happened
• Final four: Finalists for the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award announced | Learn more
• Recharged: Interstate Batteries renews partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing | Read more
• Timely response: NASCAR, GMR extend partnership of emergency response system | More details
• Next Gen news: Updates after Charlotte Roval test | Track times | Recap | Scenes from testing
• Champion crowned: Keegan Leahy wins 2021 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing title | Read more
• Design the future: NASCAR invited Boys & Girls Clubs kids to design a race track | Learn more

Posted on October 16, 2021October 17, 2021 by PJ Walsh

The Action Network specializes in providing sports betting insights/analytics and is a content partner with NASCAR. Check out more NASCAR betting analysis here.

Everything that’s old is new again.

While it was just a short few weeks ago, it seemed all quiet on the Chase Elliott vs. Kevin Harvick front after their run-ins at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Well, that all changed Sunday when Harvick appeared to purposely dump Elliott at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval.

To make matters even more interesting, it seemed Harvick wrecked his No. 4 Ford all by his lonesome later in the race due to mirror driving as Elliott closed in for possible retribution.

This all resulted in Harvick being eliminated from the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, while Elliott drove his somewhat-repaired No. 9 Chevy back to a 12th-place finish, earning enough points to advance to the Round of 8.

So where does this all lead?

How about an Elliott vs. Harvick head-to-head driver matchup for Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 (2 p.m. ET, NBC) at Texas Motor Speedway?

NASCAR at Texas Betting Pick

Harvick has a much better chance of competing with Elliott at tracks that use the 750-horsepower, lower-downforce package.

Unfortunately for Harvick, Sundays’ Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas is not one of those races.

In fact, the No. 4 Ford hasn’t been good at all on this tire combination either, ranking with just the 15th-best driver rating at those three races (Las Vegas Motor Speedway twice and Michigan International Speedway).

Elliott, on the other hand, has posted the fourth-best driver rating over that span, including the third-most laps led and the fourth-most fast laps run.

Elliott will also have a huge track position advantage over Harvick on Sunday.

The No. 9 Chevy rolls off sixth, while Harvick’s Ford will start back in 24th.

Now, I’ve spent the last few sentences explaining why Elliott has the edge over Harvick at Texas, but that’s not exactly lost on oddsmakers.

Elliott’s price of -175 in this matchup (Harvick is +132) at Barstool Sportsbook translates to an implied probability of 63.64%, meaning Elliott needs to finish ahead of Harvick 63.64% of the time to breakeven in this matchup.

Based on the data above, I do think Elliott will outrun Harvick more than the odds imply, so I’ll lay the -175 price in this matchup.

The Bet: Elliott -175 over Harvick.

Posted on October 15, 2021October 16, 2021 by Marcus DiNitto

A couple of sportsbooks are feeling frisky, inviting action on Kyle Larson before Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, the first race of the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. At opening odds of better than 3-1, these betting shops are offering nicer prices on the No. 5 than most of the market.

Barstool Sportsbook, an official NASCAR partner, is dealing +325 on Larson to win this weekend. FanDuel is even more generous, listing him a relatively fat +365 to tally his eighth victory of the Cup season.

SuperBook USA, along with BetMGM and WynnBET (NASCAR’s two other betting sponsors), are all shorter than +300 on Larson.

Here are odds on the top contenders to win Sunday’s race from the five books.

Driver	FanDuel	Barstool	BetMGM	WynnBET	SuperBook
Kyle Larson	+360	+325	+275	+275	+250
Denny Hamlin	+650	+650	+600	+600	+600
Kyle Busch	+800	+700	+700	+700	+600
Chase Elliott	+850	+700	+700	+700	+700
Martin Truex Jr	+1100	+800	+750	+750	+800
Ryan Blaney	+1100	+900	+900	+900	+1000
Brad Keselowski	+2100	+1400	+1400	+1500	+1400
Joey Logano	+1400	+1400	+1400	+1400	+1600
Kevin Harvick	+1700	+1400	+1400	+1600	+2000
William Byron	+1900	+1600	+1600	+1600	+1600
Kurt Busch	+3100	+2800	+3300	+2800	+2500
Alex Bowman	+2300	+2800	+2500	+2500	+3000
Tyler Reddick	+3500	+3500	+3300	+3500	+4000

At better than +300, Larson is enticing, as he has been a shorter-priced favorite at all five races employing the 550-horsepower, high-downforce package since the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. A bettor can’t be blamed for taking a shot against him, though – he has failed to reward his backers with a victory in any of those races.

Joe Gibbs Racing

The first stop for bettors looking to beat the No. 5 this weekend is probably the Gibbs garage, whose drivers occupy the next two spots on the oddsboard.

Denny Hamlin’s late-season momentum has included a win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the most recent Cup race on a 1.5-mile track. His history at Texas, though, has been spotty. While he won here in March 2019 for the third time in his Cup career, his last three finishes at the track are ninth, 20th and 28th. Over the six Texas races since 2018, Hamlin has a 20.33 average finish and 81.7 driver rating, not exactly statistics that will prompt a mad rush to the betting window.

Kyle Busch, on the other hand, seems to love Texas, winning here for the fourth time last year and tallying a 6.67 average finish and 114.5 rating since 2018. He has also won 10 Xfinity and five Truck Series races here.

Busch’s two wins this season came at Kansas Speedway and Pocono Raceway, 550-horsepower tracks, and in the two most recent races on 1.5-mile tracks, he has been second (Atlanta Motor Speedway) and third (Vegas). In the 10 550-horsepower races this season, Busch has compiled a sparking 3.7 average finish.

Our friend, Jim Sannes, over at numberFire puts Busch’s chances to win Sunday at 13.0%, which translates to +669 odds. Per this analysis, the No. 18 is worth a play at +700 or better.

Martin Truex Jr. tends to hang around on these 1.5-milers, finishing sixth or better in five of the seven races on such layouts this season, but he has failed to break through with a win. He has won four times this year, all at 750-horsepower tracks.

Looking for long shots

Ryan Blaney, available for double-digit odds for the diligent betting line shopper, has finished in the top six in five 550-horsepower races in a row. He won at the 1.5-mile Atlanta and at Michigan International Speedway, although we’re not sure how useful a comparison that 2-miler is for Texas.

Brad Keselowski, Blaney’s Team Penske garage-mate, has a solid 9.9 average finish with the 550-horsepower engine this season, and FanDuel’s rogue +2100 on the No. 2 Ford jumps off the page. In eighth place in the standings, Kes figures to be aggressive going for the win to secure a spot in the Championship 4.

While he has been eliminated from the NASCAR Playoffs, William Byron won at Homestead-Miami Speedway and has four top fives and seven top 10s on 550-horsepower tracks this year.

Alex Bowman hasn’t been a model of consistency, but an offer close to 30-1 odds is awfully tempting for “The Showman” to rack up his fourth win of the year.

Tyler Reddick has been getting some love within some NASCAR betting circles this week. He had a few early-season clunkers, but he has five finishes of ninth or better — including a second at Homestead-Miami — on 1.5-mile tracks this season, and he finished second at Texas last July. Barstool Sports offers +400 on a top five for the No. 8 Sunday and a fair +115 for a top 10.

Marcus DiNitto is a writer and editor living in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has been covering sports for nearly two-and-a-half decades and sports betting for more than 10 years. His first NASCAR betting experience was in 1995 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, where he went 0-for-3 on his matchup picks. Read his articles and follow him on Twitter; do not bet his picks.

Posted on October 15, 2021 by Team Release

CONCORD, N.C. – Liberty University and 13-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Hendrick Motorsports have reached a new five-year agreement to extend the school’s support of driver William Byron and his No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE team in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Byron, 23, will continue to carry primary sponsorship from Liberty in 12 Cup races annually through 2026. This season, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native earned his third consecutive Cup Series playoff berth and second career points-paying win while already setting personal bests in top-five finishes, top 10s and laps led with four events remaining. He has led in 16 of 32 points races in 2021.

“We are honored to partner with and support Hendrick Motorsports, William Byron and the No. 24 team,” said Jerry Prevo, president of Liberty University. “William is a tremendous young man and has been an excellent ambassador for Liberty as a unique type of ‘student-athlete.’ Our relationship with the Hendrick organization already benefits our students and school in many ways, and we feel there is potential to do much more over the next five years.”

Byron is currently a junior working toward an undergraduate degree in strategic communications via Liberty University’s online program. Founded in 1971, Liberty offers more than 700 unique programs of study from the certificate to the doctoral level, including more than 450 available online. The school began its support of Byron in 2014 when he drove late model stock cars and has been a 12-race primary sponsor since his 2018 Cup Series rookie of the year season with Hendrick Motorsports.

“Liberty has made a huge impact on me,” Byron said. “I was able to experience college life while living on campus and then continue to pursue a degree while driving full time. The support Liberty has provided – both in academics and in my career – has helped make so much possible. I’m proud they’ve chosen to extend with us another five years, which is a big vote of confidence in our team.”

In addition to raising awareness of Liberty University’s educational opportunities, the sponsorship has touched a variety of student programs. Examples include Hendrick Motorsports supporting the School of Engineering’s Formula SAE effort, which focuses on electric car technology, and Hendrick Automotive Group helping develop a degree specialization in automotive dealership management.

“We’re delighted to continue our work with Liberty University,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and chairman and CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group. “The partnership impacts so many different areas, and I believe we’re just scratching the surface of the value we’re able to deliver. We look forward to working together over the next five years to take it to the next level.”

Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway (⏰ 2 p.m. ET | 📺 NBC, TSN | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)